Deer Run Trail in Point Clark likely closed for summer

Deer Run Trail in Point Clark likely closed for summer

Steve Cornwell

Published on: June 19, 2019 | Last Updated: June 19, 2019 9:59 PM EDT

The Deer Nature Trail in Point Clark has been closed until further notice while diseased ash trees are removed from the area. Huron-Kinloss Township said that the balance of the work will be complete by September. Photo Courtesy of Huron-Kinloss

The Deer Run Nature Trail in Point Clark is closed until further notice due to tree damage related to emerald ash borer infestation.

According to a June 7 update by the Township of Huron-Kinloss, the beetles had caused the death of thousands of trees in the area and Savage Bros. Ltd had been contracted to remove more than 160 ash trees.

The tree are to be cutdown “due to safety concerns” around limbs or entire trees falling their weakened state.

Emerald ash borer are native to Asia and considered an invasive species. The beetles, which have become pervasive across large parts of Southern Ontario since first being seen in 2002, feed on all ash species in the province, including non-native species of the tree.

The beetles grow to be 8.5 to 13.5 millimetres and are identifiable by their green metallic shell. They cause damage in several ways including tunnelling into bark and cutting off the flow of nutrients until the ash trees die.

The township said that it planned to remove high risk trees quickly, and that the majority of the cutting would be completed Sept. 1.

In the same June 7 post, the township said that it would complete a tree planting program in for the trail in the fall of 2019 or spring 2020.

The Deer Run Nature Trail features many kinds of ferns, black and wild red raspberry and is considered an environmental sensitive area within Point Clark.